Introducing the new Ultimate Fighting Championship gloves, just like the old gloves. UFC 309: Jones vs. Miocic. Saturday at 10 a.m. ET on ESPN+. Order now!
During the UFC 309 press conference, UFC chief Dana White confirmed that the new glove design introduced earlier this year will not be used at the event. Going a step further, White pointed out that these gloves, designed by equipment company Dyaco, will no longer be worn. The promotion will run from Saturday and will return to the original glove design that has been used for many years.
Current heavyweight kingpin Jon Jones complained about his new gloves at media day, saying they were uncomfortable and he needed to go up a few sizes. Afterwards, he expressed relief that the UFC returned to its original set. During the press conference, The Mac Life asked why the UFC planned to revert to the previous model for this event.
“Because … there were a lot of complaints about them,” White said. they didn’t work. People weren’t happy with them. So I actually made the decision, I called Lawrence, the chief operating officer. [Epstein] And I said, “I’m going to change my gloves.” I would like my old gloves back. ”
He answered in the affirmative that the switch was permanent, before continuing, “The new gloves are now the old gloves.”
The new gloves first appeared at UFC 302 on June 1 and were intended to reduce padding to reduce eye pokes and potentially reduce cranial trauma. They also changed the design to place the glove’s seams in a different location, and changed the wrist attachment in hopes of preventing inadvertent damage from the glove itself.
In a limited sample size of 252 fights from UFC 302 to UFC Fight Night 247, winning fighters knocked out their opponents in approximately 22.6% of their matches. This percentage is well below the UFC average, where approximately 32% of fights end in knockout or technical knockout. By comparison, in the UFC’s first 213 fights in 2024, the knockout rate was just under 32%, but it plummeted after the new gloves went into effect. It’s unclear whether organizations are leaving these gloves out due to decreased finishing rates, uncalculated changes in eye pokes, or for another reason.
